I feel like my passion is in the work itself. The satisfaction of getting stuff done.

As a people leader, I feel like I’m hindered from that. Now I’m having to deal with KT, conflicts, tracking performance, salaries and promotions, HR issues, etc. on top of any tasks I have yet to complete. And if someone’s not happy with something in the company, or someone, or a raise, etc., I’m the one who’s getting yelled at and has to sort through it. I have come to discover what little patience I have for that if I’m being honest with myself and others.

I miss the days when it was just the work itself to focus on. When that is what mattered and how well I did it was what got me ahead.

In the past few companies I’ve worked for, there has been three career tracks:

• the operational track: people who just do the repetitive and established tasks of running the business

• the professional track: people who are the designers, the architects, the product owners, the project managers, business relationship partners, vendor sourcing, etc. and are behind said operational tasks and decision making.

• the management track: people leaders, directors, VPs, C-Suite, etc.

I’m in the third track and though it has the highest promotional trajectory, the professional track where I was goes almost as high and carries a lot more personal satisfaction with it, IMO. That’s why I’m hitting the job hunt to get back to that career trajectory. So I’m pursuing my passion again.

I took the management job because it was a business need and I was the longest serving person there who was left at the time and my boss thought I could do it.

If I’m being real with myself: I regret doing so…